Panther territory

The NSW Premier Nathan Rees has confessed he thinks the idea of a panther roaming western Sydney is more than just an urban myth.

What do you think - do you believe it is out there?

Posted
by SMH OnlineJuly 15, 2009 7:18 PM

LATEST COMMENTS

Its out there alright. Lookin for a feed. Send McDonald to find it.

Posted by: Big Mac on July 16, 2009 3:13 AM

I think you are asking me to believe way too much all at once. I have a hard time getting past 'Nathan Rees, Premier of NSW'. Thats beyond believable.

Posted by: Sharon the Skeptic on July 16, 2009 4:05 AM

Who cares, how about this joke of a premier and government actually do something that we want or need him to do. This is embarrassing that he continues to go on with this while hospitals, transport and roads continue to be the worst in the country. Someone needs to sack this bloke

Posted by: Simon West on July 16, 2009 6:45 AM

The speculation just makes for a good myth story, but when you delve a bit deeper and find video that people have taken of the panthers from the Lithgow area, or read accounts of people that have seen it, and even see footprints that Rex Gilroy has found - it suddenly becomes very real. I have no doubt whatsoever that the Blue Mountains presents a perfect environment for a large cat like a panther to easily thrive.

Posted by: Rob Greaves on July 16, 2009 7:05 AM

I wonder how much more of the tax dollars are going to be spent trying to find out. Please Nathan get on with the Job of running the state and forget about the little kitty cat.

Posted by: Cheryl on July 16, 2009 7:07 AM

Since 1995 i have been chasing these big cats around mainland australia.I have taken out freedom of information requests with every state government in australia revealing to the world big cats sightings in every state.Back in 2001 one of these foi requests revealed the blue mountains black panther and the cover up by the unaccountable and incompetent nsw parks and wildlife service.Go to my new you tube channel and enter mjmoss66 to see my research and some grisly stock loss etc.

Posted by: michael moss on July 16, 2009 10:43 AM

This is the reason I have never mentioned my sighting except to my family.(too hard to convince). I live in the Mangrove Mountain area backing onto the national park, it would have been around 20 years ago I clearly sighted the panther, no mistaking it, foot prints were seen at the time. As more people moved into the area I have never sighted it again, but it remains a clear, vivid memory.

Posted by: Patricia Flannery on July 16, 2009 1:40 PM

I have also seen its footprint in 2006 in bushland in Mt Riverview. I measured the print with my hand and it extended from about a centimetre above my wrist to the tip of my finger. I know what dog prints look like, this was not a dog. I couldn't work out why there was one very clear print until I noticed a tree branching running horizontally above the spot where the print was. I think the panther was lying along this branch and then jumped down, the front foot hitting the ground making a very clear and deep impression.

Posted by: Dorothy on July 16, 2009 2:55 PM

Alan Moir sweet carton owes its reference to the logo of the Black Panter Party - Black Power movement. Our likely descendant/relative of the Australian marsupial Lion Thylacoleo carnifex owen should be a priceless discovery similar to that of the Wollemi Pine, from a similar region of Sydney. Go Cat!

Posted by: simon on July 16, 2009 4:08 PM

The panther has issued a press statement expressing his surprise at the widespread belief in Nathan Rees -- whom we all thought was an urban myth, too.